Though the Big East Conference has gotten bigger over the years, the changing world of recruiting continues to make the league an intimate affair.

When St. John’s hosts Pittsburgh tonight in the Garden, the ties that bind will heighten what already is a critical game for both squads.

St. John’s (7-9, 1-4 Big East) must snap a three-game losing streak that has dropped it to 14th in the 16-team Big East. The Johnnies have lost five of six.

Pittsburgh (15-3, 3-2) is coming off a 62-59 loss at Cincinnati. The loss of guard Levance Fields (foot) of Brooklyn and forward Mike Cook (knee) has weakened the Panthers, who are looking for another upper-tier finish in the Big East.

The importance of the game is big in its own right but the recruiting ramifications add greater import. Pitt has been a frequent raider of New York talent.

Guard Ronald Ramon will start at the point in place of Fields, who hopefully can return in time for tournament play. Austin Wallace of The Bronx, Tyrell Biggs of Nanuet and Keith Benjamin of Mount Vernon round out Pitt’s met-area connection.

St. John’s scored a recruiting coup of its own when it signed forward DJ Kennedy out of Pittsburgh. Kennedy chose St. John’s over Wisconsin, Georgia and Pitt. He’ll be going against his best friend and former high school teammate, forward DeJuan Blair.

“It could add to the game, as far as New York players and guys who grew up playing against each other,” acknowledged St. John’s coach Norm Roberts. “There are local kids here, and there are local kids there. Then there’s some crossover, too, so that would bring on some more rivalry and excitement to the game.”

The excitement has begun to wane at St. John’s games. The home fans booed the Red Storm in a 60-54 loss to DePaul at Carnesecca Arena. St. John’s blew a nine-point lead in the second half.

But a win over Pittsburgh would put St. John’s back in the hunt for a spot in the league tournament. And it would stem the growing discontent that the program is not making enough progress.

Roberts is expected to start freshman Dele Coker at center. Along with Kennedy and Justin Burrell, three-fifths of the St. John’s starting five will be freshmen.

“We’re not making any excuses,” said Roberts. “We’re going to take some lumps. But I believe in these guys and I think, if we can keep this group together, they can be great.”

Blair is emerging as one of the great players in the league. He’s averaging 11.9 points and 9.4 rebounds. Despite his size and strength, Blair’s soft hands have allowed him to average 2.1 steals.

St. John’s won the last two meetings in the Garden against Pitt, claiming a 65-62 win in 2005 and a 55-50 win in 2006.

“I think that we play similar as a team,” said Roberts. “We both want to be good defensive teams. We want to pressure people out of what they want to do. We both play physical and we play with a lot of energy.”